PC's Better year

[Peter Connan]

After reviewing my effort from last year, two things became glaringly obvious.

Firstly, I don't travel enough, and am not observant enough to post a challenging total. But more worryingly, the standard of my bird photography has been declining.

 

As a result, this year I have been trying to focus more on quality than on quantity. Thus, this year my total will be even lower than last year.

 

Only problem is, I am not entirely sure how to define quality. I geuss mainly my intention is not to post any EBC-type shots, but if I happen across a sufficiently rare bird, I may just break that resolution.
 

Birds will be posted in approximate order of first spotting, but if I already have a better photo from later in the year, I will post that instead, and if I onbly have a bad photo, I may hold back on that bird, and post it later. Thus, this thread will not be in cronologial order, but I will leave the EXIF in place for verification of time and date.

 

Anyway, enough waffling, let's get started.

 

1) Ant-eating Chat

Swartpiek

Myrmecocichla formicivora

 

Rietvlei Nature Reserve, 14 January

 

Wolfsnes, Etosha, 13 April

Edited July 3, 2017 by Peter Connan

[Peter Connan]

2) Neddicky

Neddikkie

Cisticola fulvicapillus

 

14 January, Rietvlei

[Peter Connan]

3) Southern Red Bishop

 

Rooivink

Euplectes orix

 

 

 

Female and youngster:

 

Rietvlei, 21 January

Edited July 3, 2017 by Peter Connan

[Peter Connan]

4) Long-tailed Widowbird:

 

Langstertflap

Euplectes progne

 

Rietvlei, 21 January

[Peter Connan]

5) Red-collared Widowbird

 

Rooikeelflap

Euplectes ardens

 

 

Rietvlei, 21 January

[michael-ibk]

There you are Peter, missed your Big Year - glad you´re joining in again. The Bishop feeding its chick is a really precious photo.

[PeterHG]

Good to see you join in again, @Peter Connan and starting off with some good ones! Seeking new challenges is always a good thing , though a lack of quality has never crossed my mind when looking at your photos last year! You contributions would have been sorely missed in 2017!

[xelas]

Yeah, indeed a decline in quality ... I cannot even see a glistening eye of the Long-tailed Widowbird ... c'mon, Peter, there was never a hint of doubt about the quality of your photos!

Glad that you have joined us also this year !

[Game Warden]

I was actually looking for your Big Year 2017 topic yesterday @Peter Connan and wondering why I couldn't find it...

 

Matt

[TonyQ]

@Peter Connan

Great to have you on board again!. I have always admired the quality of your photos and so look forward to further additions.

[COSMIC RHINO]

If these photos are anything like your regular ones, you have some great images

 

nature photography is difficult

 

animals appear when and where they want to often with poor lighting ,hidden in bushes  or obscured by thick tree branches , often moving just when you have noticed them

 

birds being smaller are even harder to take good pictures of  

 

you are doing well ,quality takes time  and please continue with the great work

Edited July 3, 2017 by COSMIC RHINO

[Tdgraves]

@Peter Connan

 

Shame to see that nothing else from our day trip to Rietvlei reached your new high quality standards  not even a stonechat or dikkop and nothing from the hide??

 

P.S. Isn't your neddicky the Levaillant's cisticola that we saw?

 

[Peter Connan]

Thank you all very much @michael-ibk, @PeterHG, @xelas, @Game Warden, @TonyQ, @COSMIC RHINO and @Tdgraves, I appreciate all your kind comments.

Tracy, hold on, there's more to come. But, as you probably remember, the light was pretty terrible all that day, and unlike you, I was able to go back the next weekend...

[Peter Connan]

6) Thick-billed Weaver

Dikbekwewer

Amblyospiza albifrons

 

Rietvlei, 21 January

[Peter Connan]

7) Southern Masked Weaver

Swartkeelgeelvink

Ploceus velatus

 

 

 

Home (Kempton Park, Gauteng 15 January

[Peter Connan]

8) African Stoenchat

 

Gewone Bontrokkie

Saxicola torquata

 

(Male)

 

Rietvlei, 14 January

[Peter Connan]

9) Blacksmith Lapwing

Bontkiewiet

Vanellus armatus

 

 

Rietvlei, 21 January

[Peter Connan]

10) Crowned Lapwing

 

Kroonkiewiet

Vanellus coronatus

 

This photo shows typical behaviour when these birds feel threatened. It's called a "broken wing display", and the intention is to lure predators away from the nest.

 

 

Etosha, 14 April

[Peter Connan]

11) Wattled Lapwing

 

Lelkiewiet

Vanellus senegallus

 

 

Rietvlei, 14 January

[Peter Connan]

12) Spotted Thick-knee

 

Gewone Dikkop

Burhinus capensis

 

 

Another broken wing

 

Rietvlei, 14 January

[Peter Connan]

13) Crimson-breasted Shrike

 

Rooiborslaksman

Laniarius atrococcineus

 

 

 

Etosha and Kgalagadi, April

[Peter Connan]

14) Fork-tailed Drongo

 

Mikstertbyevanger

Dicrurus adsimilis

 

 

 

These fearless birds are, I suspect, the Jack Russels of the bird world. They are often seen pestering far larger, more dangerous birds...

 

Etosha and Kgalagadi, April

[michael-ibk]

Great shot of the Crimson-Breasted Shrike (not an easy bird to get right), and really like the Stonechat photo composition.

[Peter Connan]

15) Pied Crow

Witborskraai

Corvus albus

 

 

 

And if the Drongo is the Jack Russel, this is the Staffordshire Terrier. Need I say more?

Rietvlei 21 January and Messum Crater, 20 April

[Peter Connan]

Thank you @michael-ibk